The Jiaxing Sports Center Stadium in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to Tide News]

Zhejiang province will launch its city soccer league, branded as the "Wuyue Cup", with an opening match in Jiaxing on April 6, the Zhejiang Football Association said on March 24.

The opening fixture is scheduled for 3 pm at the Jiaxing Sports Center Stadium, where the host team will face Quzhou, marking the start of a province-wide competition involving 11 city teams.

The tournament will run through mid-June and feature 62 matches in total. From April 6 to late May, teams will compete in a single round-robin format under a home-and-away system, with 55 matches played across all 11 cities. Each team will play 10 matches, including five at home and five away.

The top eight teams from the standings will advance to the knockout stage, which will take place from late May to mid-June. The final phase will include quarterfinals, semifinals, and a championship match, with seven single-elimination games deciding the title.

Organizers said the "Wuyue Cup" is designed as a province-wide competition rooted in regional identity, aiming to engage local communities and expand grassroots participation in soccer.

The name "Wuyue" refers to a historical kingdom founded in 907 with Hangzhou as its capital. At its height, the Wuyue Kingdom covered present-day Zhejiang and Shanghai, as well as parts of southern Jiangsu and northern Fujian. It lasted for more than 70 years before its final ruler, Qian Hongchu, submitted the territory to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in 978.